AUTUMNJONES Wants You To MEET: Actor Larry Rhem

What was the first movie or show you watched that made you say I wanna do that?
You know to be honest, it wasn't any specific movie or show that made me want to act. It was a collaboration of the two. Growing up I watched everything from "Brotha From Another Planet" to "Full House". As a child it was just a fantasy pretending to be the characters that I would see on television. It didn't really hit me until my freshman year in college when I got the opportunity to be an extra for the film "Drumline". That is when everything that I did and watched as a kid all of a sudden came together and I realized that "Wow...this is what I wanna do".

How long have you been acting?
I began acting in 2001 when I was in college.

When you get a script what are somethings you look for in the character?
Well, I like a lot of different things. I like characters that I can relate to, that are fun, witty, silly, etc. However, characters that quickly get my attention are the characters that are totally outside of who I am. I'm attracted to the roles that I know will challenge my range.

What inspires you?
Watching powerful performances. It doesn't matter if it's drama or comedy, when it's a strong performance it makes me want to perform.

Who is Larry Rhem? What do you want people to take from you as an Actor?
Larry Rhem is a free spirit who loves people and enjoys entertaining and creating. As an actor, I want people to see me a performer who CAN NOT be type-casted. When people see a trailer of a film that I'm in, I want them to be anxious to see the film simply because they want to know who I will be this time. When my name comes up in conversation I want people to say "He can pull off any role." "He is one of the best actors of his generation, period."

Who are some people that you'd like to work with?
Man that's a good question. There are quite a few actually. I'd love to work with actors such as Laurence Fishburne, Johnny Depp, Don Cheadle, Will Smith, Angela Bassett, Kimberly Elise, Taraji P. Henson, Jamie Foxx, Mark Wahlberg, Eddie Murphy, Michael Mann, Tarantino, Scorsese. The list goes on and on. There are so many people in this business that I would be honored to work with that it's hard to name just a few.

You've appeared on BET's Hell Date,what did you learn from that experience as far as the difference in acting and reality Tv goes? As well as in general.
Well, working on Hell Date I quickly realized the difference was that on reality tv when the cameras are off...your not (at least for that particular show).

Would you ever do it again? Why or why not?
I definitely would NOT do it again. I mean, I'm grateful for the experience and the opportunity but reality is something that doesn't keep my interest. No offense BET...lol.

Do you ever see certain aspect of the film, script or cast that you would have done differently?
Sometimes I do. I don't agree with everything I see as far as scripts, projects and performances go. I think that when you're an artist you tend to critique things even when you're not trying to and you automatically think of things you would have done differently.

Your range as an actor is amazing, You done film and theater. How do you separate the two? I ask only because their difference type of acting.
When you act for theater your physical actions are much bigger and animated as well as your voice. You have to make sure that even the person in the very last seat in the back of the audience can see and hear everything that you do. However, in film it's a different kind of intimacy. Your actions are subtle because you have a camera right there recording everything you do and say. That's why I always say it's much easier to make the transition from theater to film than it is from film to theater. In film I know that I have to internalize my emotions a little more and externalize them a little more when I'm on stage.

What about acting draws you in? But what also turns you off?
The fantasy of it. The fact that there are no limits and you can be whomever you want to be bad or good excites the hell out of me...lol. I think the thing that turns me off about it is that you're always being judged...but hey, it is what it is and you will quickly realize that you can't satisfy everybody. For instance, I believe that Heath Ledger gave one the greatest performances I've ever seen when he played The Joker in Dark Knight and I'm sure millions of people would agree, but I'm also sure that there's somebody out there that wasn't impressed at all with his performance.

How do you feel about Athletes and musicians who become actors and actresses? Especially when they haven't gotten training?
I believe that everybody deserves a chance to do other things. We are all blessed with more than one talent and who am I to say that athletes should stick to sports and musicians should stick to music. I don't want anybody placing me in a box and they shouldn't either. If we didn't allow people to cross over from one art to another we wouldn't have Will Smith, Mos Def, Dwayne "Rock" Johnson, Terry Crews, Ice Cube, Jamie Foxx, Mark Wahlberg, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Andre 3000, (shall I go on). The world would be missing out on great performances. I always believed that what is for YOU is and will be FOR YOU. Stop thinking these people are taking your roles.

What are you currently working on at this time?
I am currently working on a short film that I've written called "Unemployed". I've been casted in two feature film projects that I'm not allowed to give much information on and I've shot a pilot for a sitcom that also because of contract agreements I can't speak too heavily on.

What is you ultimate goal or dream as an actor?
To be apart of projects that inspires and entertains people of all ages, races, and genders. The same way I entertain people in my family is the same way I want to entertain people in Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.

If you had to choice a movie role that you wished you played in, what would it be? Why?
It's a toss up between Mark Wahlberg's role in "Fear" and Matt Damon's role in Bourne Identity. I chose Fear because there aren't many people who can picture me playing a role that is as dark as Wahlberg in this film. And I chose Bourne Identity because I love action flicks and his role looked like it would be extremely fun.

Where do you see your self at in ten years? Where do you see your career?
In ten years I see myself working on at least my 20th major feature length film (God willing) and I want to have my own production company off the ground. I see myself as hopefully being a highly sought after actor in the industry. I truly want to be successfully doing what I love and loving what I do
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